(a) Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a backlight assembly and a liquid crystal display device including the same. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a backlight assembly and a liquid crystal display device having improved luminance uniformity.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Many modern electronic devices, including computer monitors, televisions, mobile phones, and the like, employ a display device. Such display devices can be cathode ray tube display devices, liquid crystal display devices, plasma display devices, and the like.
A liquid crystal display device, which is one type of flat panel display device that has come into wide use, includes two display panels on which electric field generating electrodes such as pixel electrodes, common electrodes, and the like, are formed, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the two display panels. The display generates an electric field in the liquid crystal layer through application of a voltage to the electric field generating electrodes, thereby determining alignment of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer and controlling polarization of incident light to display an image.
Since the liquid crystal display device does not generate its own light, it requires a light source. Here, the light source may be an artificial light source that is separately provided, or may be natural light. Artificial light sources used in the liquid crystal display device commonly employ light emitting diodes (LEDs), cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs), external electrode fluorescent lamps (EEFLs), and the like.
The light emitting diode (LED) has many advantages, such as long lifespan, small size, low power consumption, and the like, as compared with some of the other light sources listed above. Therefore, the use of light emitting diodes (LEDs) with liquid crystal displays has recently increased. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) may be configured and arranged in a number of different ways when used to illuminate a liquid crystal display.
Particularly, within what is called a direct type display, light sources are positioned below the liquid crystal display panel. However, in this configuration, different luminances appear at portions of the liquid crystal display panel adjacent to the light source and at portions of the liquid crystal display panel distant from the light source.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.